Senior Thespian Costume Design

WHAT TO PREPARE

For a Costume Design entry, the Thespian must prepare and present costume designs for a published work written for the theatre. Designs for performances of original work, poetry, fiction, screenplays, television, concerts, or any other medium are not permitted. Only one (1) Thespian may be involved in the design; no collaborations are permitted. All Rules in the Senior Thespian General Rules apply. Designs for either theoretical or realized productions are acceptable. The Thespian must prepare the following:

  1. Five (5) costume renderings (either five different characters or a single character through five changes).
    1. No more than five (5) costume renderings will be permitted.
    2. No finished costumes are permitted.
    3. Renderings should be at least eight (8) inches tall and must be in full color; large and detailed enough for the adjudicators to easily understand the design choices (whether in person or digitally). Template or traced character forms are permitted. Renderings may be hand-drawn or computer-generated.
    4. Renderings may be presented on a display board or in a portfolio (bound or digital). The board or portfolio page should be clearly and neatly labeled with a title block that contains the following information:
      1. Play or musical title and author(s)/composer(s);
      2. Performance dates and facility in which it took place (if applicable);
      3. Character’s name, act, and scene;
      4. Entrant’s name and troupe number (optional).
      5. Swatches must be included.
  2. A portfolio of support materials (bound or digital) that must include the following:
    1. One-page design statement that includes:
      1. Unifying production design concept;
      2. Theme of the show/recurring motifs
      3. Research, including:
        1. Summary of given circumstances from the script;
        2. Functionality requirements;
        3. Genre, locale, and setting of the play (or other explanation of the world of the play);
        4. Artistic and practical needs that impact the construction;
        5. Sources of inspiration for design and color palette (if used)
      4. Budgetary requirements or other constraints and considerations
      5. Preliminary sketches
      6. Costume plot for the chosen character(s), showing costume changes and indicating when costume changes happen
  3. A five to eight (5-8)-minute presentation (plus an optional 4 minutes for Q + A with judges) summarizing the work with connections to concept, collaboration, and design decision-making. The Thespian may use digital media during the presentation (the Thespian must provide their own equipment for viewing), or the Thespian may bring photo boards or other visual aids to display along with the costume designs.
    1. The Thespian should address general questions such as:
      1. What are some of your responsibilities in your field?
      2. How did the director’s concept influence your work
      3. How did the style of the play affect your work?
      4. If the production was realized, what challenges did you face in unifying the director’s concept across all areas of your work?
    2. The Thespian should also address category-specific topics such as:
      1. Describe your collaborative design process (e.g., with your design team or director).
      2. What role(s) did the other design elements play in designing the costumes for this production?
      3. What challenges did you face due to other design elements of the production?
      4. Do you think your designs helped to support the actor’s/director’s choices?
    3. An optional written essay response to share additional information about the costume design with the adjudicators.
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